Disclaimer: I don't own any Naruto characters, or Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Authors Note: Hey chickies! Sorry it's taken so long to update, I've been too occupied reading other people's fics. AU and OOC stories rock my world (Send me some suggestions on any good ones if you hear of any!). The funny thing about this chapter is that it is only the next night in the story when in reality it's been, what? A month? By the way, still haven't decided what I'm gonna do the next story on. Here's a nice LONG chapter for you!

P.S. Sasuke is a dunderhead in this chapter for some part. I feel that Sakura and him should have a bumpy rode in their relationship, otherwise what's the fun in writing this?

Ro-may-oh and Juliet

It was Saturday afternoon and Sasuke Uchiha sat in his room, contemplating things that had been running through his mind ever since he became friends with Sakura Haruno, his ex-rival.

Troubling thoughts paraded around his mind. What had ever caused him to suddenly stop hating Sakura? Sure, she was beautiful, but so was he. He could have almost any girl that he desired at anytime. So why Sakura? Why the girl that had made him mad as hell for two years of his life?

Sasuke laid back on his head. He would not admit that he had been wrong. He couldn't admit that he was wrong. His pride wouldn't let him admit that maybe, he should not have been such an immature jerk to her. That she was not the stuck-up snob that he had made her out to be.

No, he thought. I wasn't wrong. I'm Sasuke Uchiha, I don't make mistakes like that.

But deep down, he knew he was fooling himself. Sakura WAS bright, charming and beautiful. She always had been and he had missed his chance entirely that day he let those girls push her away from him. The day HE pushed her away from him.

Sasuke silently laughed at the irony of it all. Here was this amazing girl and he had totally screwed his chance at having known her earlier because of something so dumb as a couple of air-headed girls.

More troublesome thoughts came into his head. What had possessed him to say those things to her yesterday? Or at Christmas? That was SO out of character for him it wasn't even funny. NO girl had the right make him say the things that were in his heart. It just wasn't him!

For the last time, I'M SASUKE UCHIHA! Girls, especially girls like Sakura don't make me feel this way!

He growled in frustration. All that he had made himself out to be all of these years was about to be blown away by a simple girl with a pretty face. He had been her enemy and now he was practically bowing down and admitting defeat.

AND WHY THE HELL DID IT BOTHER ME SO MUCH WHEN SHE CALLED ME HER FRIEND?

Maybe, he thought, it bothered me because I want to be MORE then her friend. I want to always tell her things like that to make her smile. I-Pfft, maybe not. I just don't want to be her friend. Uchiha's don't admit defeat after years of war, especially not to girls. Well tonight, I'll show her EXACTLY where I stand. Things aren't going to change so easily without me having a say in anything. Watch out Sakura.

Sasuke Uchiha was in total denial.

That night, Sakura was dropped off at the mall by her mother. The movie theater was a part of the mall, and she had been told to meet everyone outside of it.

When she walked through the doors she immediately saw her friends standing around in a circle.

There stood Ino, who was chatting away animatedly at a semi-bored looking Shikamaru, who was seated on a bench, staring up at her through half closed eyes and a small smile. Next to them Naruto and Kiba were teasing a frustrated Chouji by stealing the bag of chips he had and tossing it to each other like monkey-in-the-middle. Hinata stood watching the guys, torn between laughing with them and feeling sorry for Chouji. Lastly, she noticed Sasuke leaning against the wall. He didn't look up when she came over to them and shouted hello to everyone.

"Hey Sakura!" They greeted warmly to her.

"So uh, Sakura." Kiba said as nonchalantly as he could manage. "What's this I hear about you going postal at school on Friday?"

Sakura shifted her feet nervously as everyone awaited her answer. She took a glance at Sasuke, who was currently not looking in her direction. She felt a stab of disappointment that he was not coming to her aid.

She forces out a laugh. "Well you know, it was just one of those days, you know, where you don't exactly feel like yourself, you know, aaand I guess I just felt like playing that part yesterday, you know?"

They stared for a minute at her. In truth they DIDN'T know, but decided not to question further.

Shikamaru stood up and stretched before yawning and saying "Alright, lets go buy our tickets then."

The line for the ticket booths was pretty long. It was, after all, a Saturday night at the mall.

Standing in the line, Sakura was beginning to feel slightly frustrated that Sasuke had yet to say a word, or even spare a glace, towards her. She was about to open her mouth and say something when two girls, who were in front of them, spotted the Uchiha.

"Oh, hey Sasuke!" They began flirtatiously. Sasuke smirked and flirted back with them.

"Hey ladies, how have you been?" They giggled out answers and nodded their fake-faced, smiling heads.

Sakura felt her inner, Jolly Green Giant Jealous self boiling inside of her. What the heck was his deal anyway? He was acting exactly like the OLD Sasuke: the jerk. He was completely ignoring her and chatting up a storm with two, shallow-looking Barbie's.

Ino and Naruto were looking at the boy's familiar, yet much unwanted, old behavior. Naruto whispered to Sakura. "I dunno what his deal is today but he's been acting weird ever since he got here tonight."

Ino looked thoughtful. "Sakura, maybe he's trying to get you jealous?"

Sakura and Naruto's eyes widened. Sakura protested. "Ino I really don't think-" but Naruto cut her off.

"No, I really DO think that's what's going on! That would definitely explain the reason why he's suddenly changed back into Sasuke the Boy Bastard."

Ino spoke up again as they walked through the slowly advancing line. "Sakura, you know what you should do right? You should play the game right back at him. If he isn't going to come willingly to you, MAKE him. Got it?" Naruto grinned and bobbed his head up and down in agreement.

Sakura smirked as well. Okay, this'll be fun.

Sakura scanned the area for boys that she knew and a plan formulated in her head. Bingo.

The two girls Sasuke had been talking to walked up to purchase their tickets, saying goodbye to him by giving him individual hugs. Sakura made her way forward in their group and stood next to Sasuke, throwing a wink at the others who gave her encouraging nods. She turned back and did not look at Sasuke

"Next!" One of the ticket sales persons called.

Sakura made her way forward, going ever slightly out of her way towards a boy she had chosen earlier.

Sakura, the someday famous actress she is, bumped into the guy and "tripped". Before she could fall however, she had slung her arms around the boys neck to stop herself.

She smiled up at the boy and laughed out her apology.

"Oh my God, I am sooo sorry! Oh hey Kyouta, I didn't know it was you! I'm sorry I wasn't looking where I was going!"

The boy named Kyouta laughed at her and lightly teased her clumsiness, all the while she was still clinging onto his neck, using him to keep her balance.

Kyouta put his arms around her waste to help her into a standing position.

An annoyed voice called out "Next!" And Sakura turned away from Kyouta for a moment and told Sasuke, with a large smile adorning her face, to go ahead of her.

Sakura felt super proud of herself.

Sasuke had his fists clenched and his eyes downcast and angry. A dark energy seemed to be radiating off of him as he shoved his way past the two.

Satisfied with her work, Sakura let go of Kyouta and bade him farewell, and to make her plot work all the better she was greatly pleased when he said (very loudly) for her to call him sometime. Sakura turned around and bought her ticket and proceeded into the lobby where the rest of the group would soon be appearing. Sasuke was waiting there, looking like the jealous little boy he was.

He looked as though he were about to tell her something but before he could, Ino's loud voice called behind the two of them. "Sa-ku-ra! Come to the bathroom with me!"

Ino grabbed her arm and Shikamaru (who was behind her) asked, "Why do girls always go to the bathroom with each other?"

Ino was already pulling Sakura away with her. "It's an ironclad law for us girls! Thou shall not go into the bathroom without another girl to gossip with!" She called behind her.

Hinata followed behind the two girls, being too shy to stay with the five boys by herself.

Ino shoved Sakura into the bathroom and her and Hinata erupted into fits of laughter. "Saki that was AWESOME! That was the best performance you have EVER put on in your entire LIFE! Oh my GOD, did you see his FACE?"

Sakura laughed with them. "It was pretty good, wasn't it?"

Hinata nodded, smiling and blushing. "You were brilliant Sakura."

Sakura was curious. "How did he react?"

Ino laid it out for her. "He was SO pissed, he looked like he wanted to punch the daylight outta that kid, it was SO funny!"

Sakura laughed. "Well if you enjoyed that, sit back for more because I am far from finished."

"Ooo, Saki, I do believe you're turning into quite the naughty girl!" Ino said mischievously.

Sakura shrugged with a light smile. "Uh uh, there is no way I'm going to let him go back to being a jerk without paying the price!" Ino jumped up and down. "Now THAT'S that attitude I wanna hear!"

"I learned from the best."

Ino locked her arms with Sakura and Hinata and they made there way out of the bathrooms.

The rest of the night at the movies went according to plan.

For Sakura that is.

She had managed to flirt with the concession's clerk into giving her a bag of candy for free, bump into a group of boys she knew from school and make them laugh at her cute behavior AND have some random guy whistle at her when she walked by him, all the while Sasuke being not to far behind her.

Internally, he was beating himself up. This was NOT going the way he had planned. Sakura was still behaving like she had the day before and it was driving him crazy! And the worst part was that she seems to know that it was. She was playing his game right back and him and he was losing. Why couldn't she just stop being so cute? He found himself wanting her to be like that towards him and him alone! No, that's not true, he thought. He wanted her to stop being so…so…LIKEABLE!

Sasuke grabbed the end seat in the theater row they had chosen and made sure that he was next to someone other than her. He sat down next to Chouji and let out a breath of relief. Finally he wouldn't have to be near her anymore and could start acting like his old, normal self!

Ino had sat down in between Chouji and Shikamaru. She frowned at the seating arrangements. Loudly, she whined, "Chouji, would you mind swapping with Sakura? I wanna sit next to my best friend."

Ino winked at Sakura as the large boy sat up grumbling and picking up all of his snacks to take with him.

Sasuke sat in a state of shock, unable to believe his bad luck.

The movie started and Sakura continued to ignore Sasuke. Her and Ino kept whispering to each other and giggling softly at each other's movie criticisms.

At some point during the movie, Sakura turned to Ino and pointed out a couple that were making out a few rows below them. Grinning wickedly at each other they took a bag of Skittles and began to pelt the unsuspecting couple with them.

Sasuke found himself trying not to laugh though he didn't know why it was so funny. In reality it should have made him angry, for Sasuke had done the same thing as the couple on numerous occasions: Take a girl out on a movie date and ignore the movie so he could make out with the girl. He recalled on some occasions people threw things at them and wondered if Sakura had ever been among them. He had never known that it bothered people, or maybe he just didn't care.

Sasuke had decided. It was time to stop being such an idiot. He knew that he was just being defiant, and if he wasted anymore time he might never come across another girl like Sakura again. He did like her and he could deny it no longer, he thought as she continued smiling and throwing skittles. In his mind he told himself that he was not surrendering the war, just…having a truce.

He leaned towards her. "Hey, can I have a few of them?"

She whipped her head around and gave him a searching look, trying to decide why he had suddenly decided to talk to her again.

Stiffly, she dumped a couple Skittles into his hand. He popped two in his mouth and continued to pelt the couple with the rest, successfully hitting them on the head each time. Fed up, the couple finally decided to move their seats. Sakura was shaking in laughter, and Sasuke was grinning too, although she didn't say anything to him for the rest of the movie.

When it was finished, the group proceeded out the doors and into the parking lot. The skating rink was only across the road from the mall. Sakura, Ino and Naruto seemed to be discussing something important, and it seemed that it was about Sasuke. They were whispering and throwing looks at him. Then quite suddenly they nudged Sakura away from them and joined in to talk with the rest of the group. Sakura groaned and lagged behind.

Perfect. Sasuke thought.

He slipped away from the group un-noticed and fell into step with her.

"Something wrong?" He asked her.

No answer.

"Hey, look Sak, I know I was acting weird and all but-"

"Oh, so you noticed?"

Sasuke sighed.

"Yeah, about that, I was just…" Just what? He thought to himself. Just too dumb to admit that I actually like you? Oh yeah, that'd sound REAL smooth.

"Look Sasuke, I understand that fact that maybe you just don't want to be my friend-" DAMNIT, there's that 'friend' word again! He cursed himself.

"-but let's just stop playing this stupid game already."

He looked at her, surprised, then turned away from her.

"I never said I didn't want to be your friend." He mumbled.

"Yeah well you're doing a crappy job of showing it." She snapped. Angrily, she sped up and joined the others, who glanced back on Sasuke with looks that plainly told him: "You deserve this." Sasuke sighed.

They reached the rink and got inside to pay for their skate rentals. When they had stood in the line fore the skates, they grabbed some benches to sit on while they laced the skates.

Sasuke was trying to undo the knot of laces on his roller blades, and kept stealing glances at Sakura, who had her head down and seemed determine not to make eye contact with anyone.

Naruto, Kiba and Hinata (who had brought her own skates) were finished lacing up first and headed out onto the rink. The first thing Naruto did was fall on his face. Kiba howled with laughter until a speed skater had come out of nowhere, ramming into him and sending the poor boy flying out of view. It was Naruto's turned to laugh.

Hinata helped him up, and when he started to get moving he fell again, this time on his butt. He complained loudly that the floor must have just been waxed. Hinata helped him up again.

"N-Nartuo, i-if you want I c-could help you get started." She timidly suggested.

Naruto beamed at the girl and held his hand out. Hinata took it was turned her face away quickly to hide her blush, as she helped the clumsy boy balance himself.

Ino stood with her hands on her hips as her and Sakura watched amused.

"Aww that is so CUTE!" Ino smiled. She then grabbed Sakura's arm and the two headed towards the rink.

"Shikamaru, Chouji! Come on, get out here!" She yelled at him.

Shikamaru sighed loudly and turned to Chouji who had just finished with his skates.

"Ready Chouji?"

Chouji stood up huffily. "Shikamaru I'm not very good at skating, why don't you go on ahead?"

"Nonsense, I don't like going fast, it's too bothersome when people get in the way." He smirked at Chouji. "Would you like me to hold you're hand?" He teased.

"Kiss my ass Shikamaru."

Shikamaru laughed and turned to Sasuke. "You coming?" He asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll sit here for a little while."

Sasuke was too busy dwelling in his regret. Had he not screwed up the night with Sakura, he could be teasing her, and having fun as she got all worked up about it.

Sasuke sighed and looked onto the rink. He easily spotted Sakura's pink hair, which continued to change into other bizarre colors due to the fluorescent neon lighting that lit the floor. She had her arms linked with Ino's and the two girls had caused each other to fall. They laughed at each other and helped themselves up. Sasuke smiled a small smile. He sat there watching them for a couple of songs before he realized that the group was coming back to him.

"Sasuke where have you been?" Ino said haughtily. "We didn't invite you so you could sit here sulking on a bench."

Sasuke said nothing and glared at her, which she ignored. "Well let's go buy a couple pizzas, I'm starving. The others agreed and headed to the snack bar.

Sakura called after them. "I like this song so I'm gonna skate some more, I'll be over in a couple of minutes okay?"

Ino nodded and waved her hand, indicating that she had heard. Sakura went back to the rink and molded into the crowd of skaters.

Sasuke decided. It was now or never. He got up and skated over to the rink, trying to spot Sakura. When he did, she was at the other side of the rink. Sasuke sped up and expertly maneuvered his way around the slower people. He slowed down when he neared her and grabbed her hand. She jerked around to see who it was and when she saw Sasuke, her eyes narrowed.

"Sakura please talk to me."

She waited for him to continue.

"We both know I was being an asshole and I'm sorry. Alright? I am sorry. I was just…a little mixed up."

Sakura could see how hard it was for him to apologize. It really hurt his pride, she could hear it in his voice. Sakura looked away from him for a minute. He sighed and looked away, forgetting he had grabbed her hand until he felt her own hand wrap around his. She gave him a reassuring squeeze and smiled at him. "You sure you want to be my friend? Because if you say yes, there's no going back." She told him sternly.

"Absolutely."

Unaware to them, the announcer had called out for "Couple's Skate Only". The music had slowed and the lights dimmed.

Sitting at a table, Kiba suddenly pointed out to the others. "DUDE! Since when did Sakura and Sasuke become an item?" The others choked on their pizza and looked to where Kiba was pointing. Sakura and Sasuke were holding hands and smiling at each other amongst the other couple's skating around with goofy loving looks on there faces.

Sakura suddenly noticed that there were less people skating, and realization hit her.

"Uhh, Sasuke, this is the couple's skate."

Sasuke looked around and they simultaneously let go of each others hand and exited the ring.

Where a very perturbed looking Ino was waiting for them.

"Did I miss something?"

Sakura laughed, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"We aren't, I mean, me and Sasuke made up."

Ino smiled a sly smile. "Anything else?"

Sakura shook her head sheepishly and Sasuke smirked.

Ino didn't buy it for a minute. "Riiight. Well, come on over to the table before Chouji eats all the pizza.

They sat down and tried to eat their pizza in peace while being bombarded with questions. In the end they all laughed about it and finally, everyone was having a good time.

The rest of the night at the skating rink went according to plan.

For Sasuke that is.

"Come on Sakura, don't tell me that that's as fast as you can go?" He laughed out as the girl flushed and shouted at him.

"Well sorry I'm not Mr. Speed-Skater like you are!"

He skate a circle around her and lightly tugged her hair.

"Hey get back here!" She shouted as he sped away laughing.

She tried in vain to catch up to him but he was too fast and soon, she had lost him completely. She slowed down and tried to spot him in the crowd. Suddenly she shrieked when she felt someone poke her in the sides.

Sasuke had come up behind her and now had his hands placed on each side of her. He was snickering.

Sakura turned and lightly back-fisted him in the shoulder.

"Ow."

"You're such a show-off Sasuke!" She said with a reprimanding tone.

His hands were still on her waist. "S-Sasuke, what're you doing?"

The announcer's voice soon boomed over the area.

"Alright! Now we're gonna go to couples skate only, I repeat, couple's skate only." And the voice clicked off.

"Sasuke we're stuck in couples skate again." She said in a shaky voice.

"That's okay." He said indifferently.

"No it's not! Come on, let's get off the floor!" She tried to skate over the where their friends were waiting but Sasuke prevented her from doing so.

He put his chin on her shoulder and said in a teasing tone, "I like skating with you."

She looked at her friends as they skated by and gave them pleading looks. They laughed and shook their heads, urging her to go on.

She sighed and Sasuke removed his hands from her waist and sought out hers.

He found her hands and took them, then used them to put himself in front of her. Now Sasuke had her hands and was skating backwards in front of her.

"Show off." She muttered. She got a smirk in return.

"You should know by now."

"I thought you didn't like skating." She said accusingly.

"That doesn't mean I'm not good at it. Here, why don't we switch?" He suggested.

"Uh, no, Sasuke, no, I can't skate backwards, I CAN'T SKATE BACKWARDS!" She yelped as he effortlessly switched their positions.

She wobbled a little bit but Sasuke still had her hands and helped her keep balance. "Don't worry," He spoke in a reassuring voice. "I've got you."

She looked at him and nodded, her eyes full of trust. Gently, he used their hands to push her backwards. Sasuke instructed her in what to do.

"Yes, keep steady, that's it. Move your feet like that. No, don't lean forward so much, that's it. Look where you're going to."

Soon Sakura had gotten the hang of it. Then, very abruptly, Sasuke had let go of her. "Sasuke?" She yelled at him.

"Sakura, skate!" He commanded.

She did as she was told, and soon found herself skating backwards smoothly.

"I'm-I'm doing it!" Sasuke I'm doing it!" She shouted happily. She felt his familiar presence beside her. He was skating backwards as well.

"Good job. See? I knew you had it in you."

She smiled sheepishly at him. The she grabbed Sasuke around the shoulders, and used him to turn herself frontward again.

She laughed and said, "Sorry! You didn't teach me how to turn, haha!"

She still had her arms wrapped around his shoulders. She noticed he wasn't smiling. Instead, he looked at her oddly, as though seeing her for the first time. His eyes seemed to be holding in a storm of emotion.

She was about to let go of him when, quite suddenly he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in closer. They were in the same position Sakura had been in with Kyouta earlier.

"Sasuke…" She said looking into his eyes, unsure of what to do.

He leaned forward and their foreheads touched. Sasuke was so close to kissing her! He turned his head a little bit and was not but a few centimeter away from her lips when the announcer had come back on again.

"Alright, we're going back to an all skate! I repeat: all skate."

And then there was a rush of people trying to get back on the rink. Someone rammed into Sakura and Sasuke, sending them sprawled on the floor.

Sasuke glared daggers at the boy as he sped off, shouting "My bad!" behind him.

They were soon aware that the others were standing over them, satisfied smirks etched across their faces.

They leaned down to help the two stand up.

"That was quite the cutsie show you put on." Ino said to a blushing Sakura. Sakura decided not to answer and they continued to skate in their group, while Sasuke and Sakura endured the teasing they received from their "friends".

All too soon, the night was over. Everyone said their goodbyes and got into their respective vehicles. Sakura's mom picked her and Ino up, and the two sidled into the backseat.

"Hey, I didn't know Shikamaru could drive…" Ino muttered absentmindedly, staring out the window as the boy hopped into his car.

"Well we'll just have to get him to drive us somewhere!" She said turning back to Sakura.

"Yeah, maybe YOU can." The pink haired girl said moodily.

"What do you mean?" Ino asked her.

"Mom says I'm not allowed to get in the car with any boys until I'm seventeen. Isn't that right mom?" She said in a sickly false, sweet tone.

"That's right." Her mother said in an equally false sweet tone.

"That's too bad." Ino said disappointedly.

"Mom that is so stupid! Most kids my age can DRIVE at sixteen and I can't even get into a CAR yet?" Sakura said furiously.

"Well I'm not those kids mother, am I?"

Sakura growled in frustration. That was her mother's favorite reason. The "I'm not their mother" reason.

Ino decided to change the topic, even if Sakura would have preferred her not to mention what she was about to.

"Soooo, how about you and Sasuke?" Ino said smiling.

Sakura looked at her with wide eyes. Ino should know better then to mention boys around her mother.

"Sasuke?" Mrs. Haruno spoke up. "Is this the same Sasuke that called you the other day?"

"Mmhmm." was her answer.

"How come I haven't heard much about this Sasuke?"

"Mmmidunno."

"Say, is this the same Sasuke that had been in all the plays with you every year?"

"Mmhmm."

"I thought you didn't like him? Didn't you say he was a 'big jerk'?" her mother asked sternly.

Ino answered for Sakura. "She didn't like him before! Only now Sasuke's grown out of his jerkiness. He's actually really nice!"

Sakura silently thanked her friend for not making Sasuke sound bad in front of her mother. If her mother didn't think much of someone, then Sakura didn't have much of a chance with them.

"Yeah mom. He's smart, he's in the drama club, he's a good actor…" Sakura went off, trying to make the best of him.

"Hmm." He mother thought. "Whatever happened with Lee? I thought he was a nice boy."

Sakura froze. It was Ino to the rescue again.

"Oh, you know how it is, they both kinda, just stopped liking each other. It was a...mutual thing I guess, heheh!"

Sakura's mother nodded her head. The two girls thought that it would be best not to say anything else. The rest of the ride home was in silence.

Authors Note: The last segment may seem pointless but it actually has a little bit to do with the next chapter.